I Am Me: The Bonds of Trust
by Serena Kenobi
Summary: Interlude between I Am Me & the sequel. Elena Skywalker is being stalked by an unknown assassin. Everyone else is away on missions, so she turns to the only agent she trusts: Mr. Wrenga Jixton. AU Plz R&R!
1. The Stalker and his Prey

I Am Me: The Bonds of Trust

By Serena Kenobi

Hello, my fellow reviewers! No, this isn't the sequel, but I think that my files will soon be available! So don't worry, the sequel will be coming up soon! This is just another interlude, not a oneshot this time, but a short story in between the first one and the sequel, just so you can read more Elena before the sequel.

Hey, to the people who signed my guestbook, did my vote caster, and my mini poll, thanks a billion! I love having people visit my website.

Just before we start the story: I had a wild idea for the sequel. Since Elena's going to be about eighteen, I wanted to put some romance into the story. I have a person of interest. Now don't freak out on me, here. I want it to be Erik, aka the Phantom of the Opera. Sounds crazy, right? Well, since I am an avid Phan, and Gerard Butler fan, I wanted to turn him into kinda like a Terry Sheridan kinda guy, but still the Phantom. He would end up being Force sensitive. I personally love the idea and would love to add him to the story... I already know how Elena would end up in France. Well? What do you think? I'm very seriously leaning towards the idea.

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Prologue 

A dark shadow whisked around the corner, darting deeper into the darkness of the night. Sharp, quick breathing was heard, and then silence. Slowly, deftly, another larger shadow followed, holding a deadly weapon in its grasp. The shadow glanced around, trying to find its prey.

Light on her feet, she hurriedly turned and ran as fast as she could in another direction, hoping that the other looming shadow wouldn't follow her. Finding her speeder in a dark alleyway, she leapt into it and gunned the engine.

The other shadow swore, raced after her when hearing the speeder's engines, and aimed his blaster at her, firing continuous rounds at her speeder.

But the speeder managed to rise up into the air and speed away into the Coruscant traffic, leaving the shadow alone behind in the alley. The shadow stared after the disappearing speeder for a moment before turning away and striding back to his own small ship. He then put away his blaster and got into his ship, zooming away into the direction of the speeder.

Following the tracer he had put on the speeder, he sped up and raced after the getaway vehicle.

Sensing almost at once that she was being pursued, she shifted into a higher gear and sped up as fast as she possibly could.

The fast approaching ship took aim and began to fire rounds at the smaller ship, causing it to swerve sharply and dive downwards towards the ground, which seemed like miles away.

Down, down, faster and faster the two ships zoomed down towards the very heart of Coruscant. The small speeder, though exceedingly fast, was slowly beginning to be overtaken by the slightly larger ship, which continued its nonstop firing.

Finally, just when the speeder was about 100 feet away from the ground, it sharply jerked upwards and accelerated, zooming away into a nearby tunnel.

The pursuing ship had a harder time turning up, but it managed to get its bearings and followed the speeder into the lighted tunnel.

The speeder sped through the tunnel, passing other slower and larger ships until it came out and quickly turned around. It then zoomed back right into another tunnel beside it, going the opposite direction. The driver of the speeder reached out, feeling on the side of the speeder, until she ripped off a tracking device, throwing it out into the traffic.

Making its way out of the tunnel, the other ship raced out into the open. Suddenly reading on his charts that the tracer had been somehow disabled, he hissed in anger and sped back through the traffic, disappearing amongst all the other ships.

Realizing that the other ship was not following hers anymore, she sighed in relief and drove home; but the feeling of dread was by no means gone.

She was being stalked.

And she didn't know what to do about it.

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Well, that's the beginning. I hope you like it! Kinda scary, huh? Well, please review and tell me what you think! NO flames allowed, though. The chapters will be longer than this, fyi.


	2. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Jix

OK! I decided to post this next chapter a little earlier than usual... I just felt like doing it faster, since I can't give you the sequel right now.

Here's the deal. My files, including my sequel, are on a hard drive disc. I don't know how to put them back onto my computer, so I have to call a computer guy. I'm just as excited as you guys are to start up the sequel, and when I get my files back, which will be soon, most likely, I will immediately post the sequel. It will have longer chapters, too. So, that's about it. I know you are anxious to begin the sequel, but I just can't post it right now! ARRGH! Anyways, enough about that. I have gotten some mixed reviews about the Phantom, and I haven't decided yet. He won't be coming up until further in the sequel, so I'm not gonna worry about it right now.

RavenRulzRF: Yes, it is! This, as the sequel, is a little scarier than the first one. Poor Elena, though. She doesn't have her lightsabers! Why? Read this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Yes, indeed it is. Thanks!

Jinn Twins: Why, thank you! Yes, I am pretty sure that I'm gonna do it. I have it already all planned out in my mind. I think you guys are gonna like it a lot!

Dark Lord Dashi: Thank you, I'm glad you think so.

Writin' Dude: Thanks for your review. If you read the author's note above, you'll see why I can't post the sequel yet. Hope you understand. As for the Phantom... I'm not sure about that yet.

Pippin Baggins: Thanks for signing my guestbook! About the Phantom, I wasn't going to put an original character in before, it was going to be someone familiar. But I really like the idea... Erik would be kind of OOC, I would turn him into a Terry Sheridan, if you've ever seen Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, kinda guy. Only, he would turn out good. I think you would like it.. I've still yet to make that decision.

JediMan: I liked Mara suspicious too. Don't worry, there will be more of that! Thanks for reviewing!

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: Thank you so much. I really appreciate your reviews. Hope you like this chapter!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: Well, I'm just putting out interludes so you don't have to wait until I get my files back. Then I will immediately post the sequel... which is going to be really good! I think you will like the Phantom idea... I have awesome ideas for it. Here's the next chapter, and thanks for reviewing!

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Chapter 2 

Disclaimer: I didn't put this in last time.. oh well. I own Star Wars. Well.. do the DVDs count? I can truthfully say that I own Elena. HAH! So Lucas... YOU CAN'T HAVE HER! TAKE THAT! But if he wants, he can write fanfictions about her... wait, he doesn't even know that she exists... FOR NOW!

* * *

Enjoy! Of course he had to be away. It had to be this week of all weeks that Darth Vader wasn't home, at his palace. 

"Dad blast it!" Elena Skywalker ran a hand through her untamed and wild strawberry blonde hair. She paced back and forth furiously in one of the combat rooms, trying to think of what the safest course of action would be.

For the past week, someone had been trying to murder her. Her stalker or assassin had been following her every day, aiming to get a chance to kill her. He had failed every single time, but she was worried. It was quite clear that the assassin was a powerful and well-trained one.

Even though she had two lightsabers which she could use easily, Elena had been forbidden to use them for two weeks as punishment ever since she had crashed one of her father's favorite speeders. All the other spare lightsabers had been taken by Vader, since he knew that she would try to get them.

"Of all the infernal…. idiots!" Elena hissed, her fingers cracking as she balled her hands into fists. "Why did he have to take the lightsabers? I can't just very well go to the Emperor and ask him for a spare… and Mara won't help me disobey Dad's orders… so… this leaves me no option! I have to resort to a plain old blaster!" In sheer frustration, she let out a huge stream of fire at a nearby droid, which melted and burst into flames.

She couldn't tell anyone about what was going on. There was nobody that she could trust. Jenson was away visiting a sick relative, Keira and Beyoncé couldn't do anything about the situation anyways, and she didn't trust the Emperor… for all she knew, he was the one trying to kill her! And her father was away; and to make matters even worse, if that were possible, his comlink was turned off.

_I've told him time and time again that he needs to leave his comlink on, but does anybody listen to me? OF COURSE NOT! _Elena fumed.

She had thought about telling Mara, but then she had found out that her good friend was also away on a mission. It seemed rather eerie that everyone she trusted was away. What could she do?

"It looks like I've got to handle this guy on my own," she muttered, climbing into her bed. She sighed, and after a few minutes, was asleep. A few minutes later, she found herself, not surprisingly, at the lake retreat on Naboo. She looked around for Luke, and found him deep in concentration, staring out at the lake.

"What's bothering you?" she quietly asked. She hadn't yet told him of her dilemma.

Luke sighed. "Oh, I'm just having problems controlling my frustration," he admitted. "Uncle Owen really gets on my nerves. He thinks that I can't handle the truth or something, and treats me like I'm a ten year old. I keep trying to tell him that I'm not a kid anymore, I mean; I'm sixteen for Force's sake! I just want to leave Tatooine and _not_ be a moisture farmer."

Elena patted him on the shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel," she replied, "Unfortunately, I have a much bigger and more dangerous problem than you."

Luke turned and stood up, frowning. "What's wrong, Elena?"

"Well… this might make you madder… but…" she closed her mouth, pausing before speaking again. "But there's someone who's been trying to kill me for the past week."

Luke's face hardened. "Who?"

"I don't know," Elena sighed.

"What about Dad? Have you told him yet?"

"He's away on a mission and has his comlink turned off. And he's too far away for me to have Force contact with him."

"Jenson?"

"Away with a relative."

"Your friend, Mara?"

"Also away."

"You have lightsabers, you know."

"No, remember what I told you happened with Dad. He confiscated all of the spares, too."

"…. Well, this doesn't give us many options," Luke said irritably, running a hand over his sandy blonde hair.

Elena nodded miserably. "What can I do? I don't trust anyone in the Empire other than my closest friends!"

"Are you sure that there's no one else?"

"Yeah…"

"Positive?"

"Uh…"

"WELL?"

"Pretty darn!"

Luke walked back and forth, thinking about what could be done. "I have no idea what to do, Lena," he answered finally; "I guess the only chance you have is taking this guy out yourself. Oh, I need to get off this blasted planet!" Suddenly a thought popped into his head.

"Hey, what about using your ability to control metal and make a new lightsaber?" he questioned eagerly.

Elena shook her head. "First, I've never made one before. Second, Dad would kill me because I disobeyed him. Third, Dad would kill me. And fourth, Dad would kill me."

"Well you're gonna get killed by this blasted guy if you don't blasted well do something!" Luke practically shouted back.

His sister shot him a warning look. "Anger leads to the Dark Side, Luke," she began. "You have to calm down."

Luke snorted. "How can I possibly be calm when my little sister is on the verge of being murdered by some unknown assassin?"

The two siblings were silent for a moment.

"So, you're absolutely _sure_ that there's no one you can either contact or trust?" Luke asked, narrowing his eyes.

Elena thought hard. "Umm…. I can't seem to think of anyone," she answered, frowning.

Luke paused. "Wait a second," he started, "What about that agent from Corellia that you were telling me about? You know the guy who calls Dad 'Uncle Dee' or something like that. What was his name… Jed? Jinx?"

"Jix!" Elena exclaimed. "What a fantastic idea, how come I hadn't thought of him before? He's my old friend, a good pal of mine… we went on a few missions together. I don't think that he's gone away, either! Thanks, Luke; you're the best brother a girl could possibly ask for!" Extremely happy, she ran up to her brother and hugged him.

Luke cracked a grin. "Hey, anything for my sis," he replied. "Now when Leia gets in trouble, you'll have to tell me her dilemma and I'll figure out what to do."

This statement made Elena's face droop considerably at the mention of Leia.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Luke apologized, "Don't worry, when the Force tells us, we'll tell her. She's just not ready for it, yet." He patted her on the shoulder.

Elena nodded. "So," she said, switching back to the subject of Jix, "I'll contact Jix after breakfast and see if he's available to watch me until we get this thing sorted out, and this assassin killed. Well, it looks like it's time to go… I'll see you later, bro." She walked back into the house, waving.

Luke watched her keenly as she left. "I sure hope so," he muttered, before closing his eyes and entering back into the real world.

* * *

Well, she realizes that she can call on our good friend Jix. Told you he'd be back! By popular demand, too! Now, if you please leave a review, you would make my day. Come on... you know you want to!


	3. Large Blaster Guns Stuffed In Lockers

OK, thanks to all of you guys for reviewing. I don't know what I'd do without you. It is because of you that I continue to write these stories. Nine reviews for each... can we get up to ten, like in I Am Me, or maybe even more? If I could get at least 10 reviews a chapter, you would make my day!

Oh, and guys... great news! No, Raven, I didn't save a bunch of money on my starship insurance by switching to Geico (That's from one of my other stories), but... someone from the original trilogy (WHOM YOU ALL LOVE) will be making an appearance in this story! Make that two people! Wait and see who! Mwa ha ha ha...

Lady Emma: Thank you! Here's the next chapter!

JediMan: I'm so happy that this is your number 1 fanfic! (Does an extremely happy dance) THANK YOU!

RavenRulzRF: Yes he is, isn't he? He's gonna be a lot smarter than he was in the movies... and a lot less clueless. But then of course... in the movies he didn't have Jedi training since he was thirteen, either. Thanks for reviewing!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: Well, Elena can't use her powers in public, because she doesn't want the Emperor to find out. But I'm sure she'll do OK. You want to put down 5 Republic credits? Sure! Palps is a good choice... but there might be someone else... Your ideas for the computer really cracked me up. Thanks so much!

Jinn Twins: Thank you (BOTH!) so much for reading and reviewing my stories... if you don't want to get mixed up, then just sign your name at the bottom of each review, like you've been doing. Then I know who is who! THANKS!

ILUVZIM: Well... if it isn't one of my reviewers. The one who gave me a statue of myself. YO DUDE! Awesome to have you back with us! I'm sure Elena would love to have your support... as for who the assassin is.. I actually was having a little trouble with who he or she would be. I hadn't planned that far ahead when I started this, lol! But now I know. Here's the update! And THANKS!

Ms. Pippin Baggins: Thank you so much! Hope you like this chapter.

Writin' Dude: If you read the answer I gave to S. T.M. Part 2, you'll see why. And that's ok if you're impatient... I AM TOO! Thank you!

Celtic Cross: Hey... it's you! Welcome back, Celt! Yes, JIX IS BAAACK! sorry, got a little carried away there. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I did... THANKS!

* * *

Chapter 3 

Disclaimer: Moi? Own this splendidity? Of course I own Elena! He he he he...

Elena rushed into the communications room, getting odd stares from some of the officers. She still had her pajamas on, her hair was an absolute mess, and a piece of toast was halfway in her mouth. She raced over to the directory, because she couldn't remember what Jix's comlink number was.

"May I help you, miss?" one of the newest cadets asked, clearing his throat. It was his very first time working in Vader's palace.

"Mi mmh mhh miiim mummum mum mummem," Elena replied, her voice and words muffled from the piece of toast that was still halfway inside her mouth.

The cadet raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?" he asked rather stiffly.

Elena shot him an annoyed glare. She turned back to the directory, deciding to just ignore him for the time being. She pressed the buttons, searching through the different numbers listed there.

"Miss?" the cadet repeated.

Growling under her breath, she bit down on the toast and snatched the other piece away, chewing quickly. She swallowed and fixed the cadet with such a glare that he took a step back.

"I _said_, I have to find someone's comlink number," she said, irritated, and whisked back to the panel.

The cadet cleared his throat and walked away, rather afraid of her.

Elena rolled her eyes and eyed the spot where Jix's comlink number was. "Ah-ha," she muttered to herself, "Gotcha."

---

"So, you're saying that you want me to call your dad?" Jix shouted over the comlink. He was driving recklessly on a speeder course on Mon Calamari, and the roar of the engines was very deafening.

"No," Elena replied from her room, pacing back and forth, "I need to you come to Coruscant and help me out!"

"But… why?" Jix hollered.

"Because!"

"Because what?"

Elena was ready to crush the comlink into tiny pieces right then. "Because… I... oh, just get your Corellian butt over here this instant!" she snapped, growing annoyed.

"OK, OK!" Jix's voice said over the comlink. "I'll come over, if it's that important."

Elena felt her throat closing up. "Yeah... it is. I really need your help, Jix. You're the only one I trust other than Dad and M.J."

Jix suddenly seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation. "I'll come right away, Skyler," he said, calling her by his favorite nickname. Skyler was a shortened version of Skywalker.

Elena ended the link, sighing. Why did her life have to be so blasted complicated?

But realizing that today was still just another school day, she grabbed her books and backpack and headed out towards the hangar bay. She jumped into a speeder and drove off, checking first to make sure that the coast was clear. Sensing that no one was following her, she zoomed towards the academy full speed, dodging the normal traffic, until she finally reached the school. She hopped out, hid the speeder in a small alley, and ran as fast as she possibly could to the school's entrance, morphing in with all the other students who began to pile in.

"Elena!" Keira called, waving enthusiastically.

Elena turned around and forced a pleasant smile on her face, trying not to show her worry. "Hey, Keira," she replied. "How's it going?"

Keira shrugged. "It would be better if our Dads were back," she grinned, hooking her arm with Elena's as they walked slowly down the hall towards their lockers. "They're coming home in a few days, am I right?"

"I think it's five," Elena replied hoarsely, "Five days." She gulped.

Keira eyed her friend. "You OK?"

Elena nodded. "Never better," she flatly lied. Wanting desperately to end the conversation, she pulled her locker open and dumped some of her backpack's contents inside. Something fell out of the backpack as she was putting the datapads in, so Keira swooped quickly and picked it up.

"Elena…" her face went a little pale as she held up a high powered blaster pistol. "What's this for? You're not going to…" her face filled with a sudden dread.

"As if I would," Elena scoffed, grabbing the blaster from Keira's hand. She shoved it back into her backpack.

"As if you would what?" a friendly male voice spoke up. The girls turned to see Hobbie walking up towards them. He was one of the only guys in the academy not afraid to talk to Elena or Mara, but then, he had known them for a few years.

Elena smiled. "Hey, Hobbie," she acknowledged, and turned back to Keira, "It's just an emergency weapon… in case I lose my other ones."

Hobbie was confused, but Keira was regarding her with a suspicious gaze. "Lose your other what?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing," Elena quickly said, just as Keira was about to open her mouth. "It's nothing."

Hobbie narrowed his eyes, glancing from Keira to Elena. "Sure…." He trailed off.

The uncomfortable silence was broken by Becé's sudden appearance. "Yo guys, what's goin' on?" she cheerfully asked, slinging an arm around Keira's neck.

"Nothing," Keira and Elena said hurriedly.

Hobbie rolled his eyes. "No, it's obviously _something_, but these two here are as stubborn as angry banthas. I'll see you later, I've got class." He shuffled his backpack in his hands as he left for class.

Becé raised her eyebrows. "Everything OK here?" she asked.

Elena nodded abruptly. "Fine," she answered. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now… I'll see you in class." She grabbed a datapad from her locker and walked off to her classroom.

Keira and Becé exchanged glances but said nothing.

When in history class, always a fun subject, Elena mused, a sudden beeping on her comlink caused everyone to stare at her.

The teacher eyed her sternly. "Miss Skywalker, even though you are the daughter of Lord Vader, I must remind you that we do not allow comlinks in class," she said.

Elena reddened. "Yeah, I'm sorry," she replied. "I'll just take it back to my locker."

The teacher nodded. "Hurry up about it," she answered.

Elena raced out of the room, darted into an empty hallway, and answered the call. "Hello?" she said breathlessly.

"For crying out loud, Skyler, how long does it take you to answer a simple comlink call?" Jix's voice growled.

Elena sighed in relief. "It's you!" she said, smiling faintly.

"Well who else would it blasted well be?" Jix snapped, "I just called to tell you that I'm at the palace and in one of the meeting rooms. Will you please get over here and tell me what's going on?"

"Um…" she glanced around. "Hang on, I have to give the teacher a reason for my dropping out of school," she replied. "I'll call you back when I'm heading out."

"Sure," Jix answered.

Elena strode back to her classroom, hiding the comlink under her belt, trying to think of a way to get out of school. Suddenly an idea popped into her head.

The door to the history room opened, and in stumbled Elena, coughing up a storm and holding her now red forehead.

"Miss Skywalker!" the teacher gasped, "what's happened?"

"Oh, I don't feel too well," Elena moaned, "I think I ate something at breakfast that didn't agree with me. Can I go home and lie down?"

The teacher frantically nodded. "Of course, go right ahead and take care of yourself," she consented.

Elena faintly smiled her thanks as she walked out of the room. When out of sight, she stood up straight and darted out of the school, running full speed to her speeder. She hopped in quickly, checking for any tracking devices, and zoomed home.

* * *

Can anyone guess how Elena became so hot? NOT... as in Paris Hilton hot.. he he he... but hot as in heat-hot. You might figure it out...please leave a review, and thanks!


	4. A BIG surpise and an Attack!

Great news. Great, great news. No, I didn't save a bunch of money on my starship insurance by switching to Geico, and no, Lady Catherine did not just invite me to dine with her. (Inside joke for those of you who have seen the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie)

The great news is...I have my files back. And you all know what that means. I CAN POST THE SEQUEL! YEEEEEEHHAAAAA! (all reviewers do a happy dance) Finally! How, you might wonder? Well, I just took Super Tinfoil Man Part 2's advice. JK! But let's quickly finish this interlude so we can start the sequel. Only expect a few more chapters of this one, cause I know how anxious you are to start the sequel! But mind you, they'll be long chapters.

CONGRATS! Goes to Adame shmi Skywalker Vader, ILUVZIM, Super Tinfoil Man Part 2, and Pip B. for guessing the right answer! She used the Human Torch's powers to make herself hotter! DING DING DING! You win... FREE lightsabers! He he he... And for the rest of you... Jix plushies!

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: Thanks so much for reviewing! Glad you liked that stuff I put in there. Can't wait for third X-Men movie!

JediMan: You have a point about the teacher... I'll try to make it more realistic if I ever have something like that again. Thanks so much for reviewing! And you're right too, she did use her powers! You get a lightsaber, too!

ILUVZIM: Thank you so much for your review! Yeah, that part in Fantastic Four is funny. Yes, Vader needs to learn to keep his comlink on...

RavenRulzRF: Close, but no cigar! Anyways, thanks so much for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter!

Jinn Twins: He he he... (gulps nervously) well then, I'm updating now, so don't send the bunnies after me! EEK! Do that to Maul in the sequel. I'm sure he'd love that. (Grins) Yes, you can't go wrong with high powered blasters!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Yes, she is. Thanks for reviewing, hope you like this chapter!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: He he, yes, she did use Torch's powers. Suspicious Mara will be in the sequel... Which will be coming up soon! A cliffhanger is a great idea...

Pip B. Ah, my faithful reviewer! Yes, you did get it right! You get an A! Thanks so much for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Elena found Jix watching the holo news in a conference room, eating a bantha burger and fries. "Hey, Jix," she said as he stood up, "You don't know how good it is to see you!" she gave him a big hug.

"You too, Elena," Jix replied warmly, "You seem to get bigger every time I see you!"

Elena rolled her eyes, but couldn't resist smiling.

"So tell me why you called me here to your humble abode," Jix said, sitting back down. "What's the big news?"

"Well," Elena said, pulling a chair out for herself, "I'm kinda having a little problem…"

Jix raised his eyebrows. "_Little_ problem?"

"…Yeah, you know, the little insignificant problem, the one where some highly trained assassin is trying to um, you know, _kill_ me?" Elena answered.

This got Jix's attention. "Someone's trying to kill you?" he exploded, lunging up from his seat.

Elena promptly snatched his collar and shoved him back into his seat. "Yes, now calm down before I am forced to hold you at blaster point," she berated him.

Jix slowly relaxed, breathing hard. "All right," he said, trying to calm himself down. "Let's start with the basics. When did these attacks begin, precisely?" he strode over to a panel and typed what Elena told him.

"Four days ago, when I left for a meeting at the academy."

"How often a day?"

"Usually once, two days ago it was twice, though. Very hard, aggressive attacks."

"Any suspects?"

"No, I can never see my attacker. Whoever he or she is, they're very good at hiding themselves."

Jix sighed, mumbling to himself. "Well, there are lots of people who would want to kill you," he muttered, "I mean, there's Xizor, Emperor's Hands, the Rebels, major crime leaders…"

Elena frowned in thought. "I have no idea," she admitted, shaking her head.

There was a pause. "Well kiddo, it looks like there's only one thing to do," Jix said, walking towards her.

"What?"

He threw down a gun on the table in front of her. "When the protective Dad's away, the daughter and the agent kill the people trying to murder her," he continued dryly.

Elena grinned, her hand slowly closing over the blaster.

"Let's get 'em, Skyler," Jix added. "We'll show 'em what we've got."

She stood up and put the blaster in her hand, saying, "You got it."

---

"OK, so we gotta remain cool, here," Jix was saying as they entered the weapons room. "We'll think that they can try to kill you, but then we'll turn around and surprise them with an attack of our own. But we have to remain low profile, make sure that they can't ambush us."

Elena nodded, strapping a hidden mini detonator to her leg. "And what if they do manage to ambush us?" she asked, grunting as she pulled it up.

Jix looked at her pointedly. "They won't," he replied determinedly.

Elena couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jix's egotistical mannerisms. "OK, Mr. Know It All," she muttered, rising to her feet.

Jix shot her a look; she just returned an innocent and endearing smile. They left the weapons room after being well stocked, and luckily it was the last school day for her. They decided to have some dinner out in some bantha burger joint, somewhere where Vader never would have gone. As they ate their food, Jix and Elena took the time to catch up and see if anyone was watching or tailing them.

"So, I never actually heard the story of how you got together with Uncle Dee," Jix remarked thoughtfully. "How did it happen?"

Elena shifted, not really wanting to bring up of how she had been a slave to Prince Xizor. "Um, it's a long story…" she frowned, dipping her fries in a sauce.

Jix leaned back. "I've got time," he answered casually.

It appeared that he would not be deterred, so she sighed shortly, ran her fingers through her hair and began. "Well, it was about four years ago. I was thirteen, and was a slave for Prince Xizor."

Jix's jaw dropped. "No kidding!" he said in disbelief.

"Yeah, I know," she replied. "Anyways, one day, when the palace kids were tormenting me, I was thrown into the room where Dad and Xizor were talking. I tried to defend myself against the bullies, but of course Xizor didn't believe me and began to choke me, right in front of Dad. Dad stopped him by Force choking him, and I guess he somehow figured out from there that I was Force sensitive."

Jix leaned in. "What happened next? When did he find out that you were his daughter?"

Elena gave him an annoyed look. "I was getting to that," she answered. "Moving on, I was working on a speeder the next day or whenever, and he showed up. We started talking about ships and stuff, and finally I told him who I was. He knew then that I was his daughter, so he told me, and the morning after, we left. That's about it."

Jix whistled. "Wow, you've got one heck of a life, kid," he said.

"Tell me about it," she muttered, idly stirring her drink. Before she could say anything else, her senses began to tingle, and she became aware of a familiar scent. She sniffed, causing Jix to stare at her, confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "A baby in here have an 'accident'?" he grinned.

She shook her head. "No," she answered, "Something… something's not right. There's a familiar presence in here. I can sense it."

"Looks like you're smelling to me," Jix remarked.

Elena stopped and stared at him, wide-eyed. Although she suspected that he had no idea _why_ she was smelling, she realized that she was giving a part of her powers away. IN. PUBLIC.

"Uh…I...uh…" she fumbled for words. "I just smelled something odd, but I guess it's gone now."

Jix raised an eyebrow. "Elena, what's going on? Whose presence can you 'sense'?"

"Someone who's familiar," she whispered. "I think it might be…him!"

"Who?" Jix hissed, reaching for his hidden blaster pistol.

Elena narrowed her eyes in concentration. "My attacker." She slowly reached into her belt, feeling her two blasters. She had always been more comfortable with two weapons. Two lightsabers, two blasters.

"What does he look like? Where is he?" Jix questioned, trying not to look too suspicious.

"I think he's on the far side of the restaurant… he might be watching me," Elena muttered. "He's very dangerous, so we have to be very cautious."

Jix nodded shortly. "Understood. All right. Here's what we'll do. On the count of three, we get up, slowly and naturally, mind you, walk out of the restaurant. If he tails us, we turn around and shoot. Got it?"

"Right then," Elena agreed.

The pair slowly got up, leaving the credits on the table where the waitress could see them. Trying not to look too obvious, they walked out of the restaurant, with Elena casting one quick glance at the suspicious character. She definitely recognized him. His face was covered, but his countenance and his aura was certainly familiar.

"Don't turn around," Jix muttered as they strode out to their speeder.

Suddenly, she had a thought. "What if he put a detonator on our speeder?" she hissed.

Jix frowned. "We'll have to double check it before we get inside, then," was his reply.

Taking out a detonator tracer, Jix walked around the speeder, moving the tracer all along the speeder's sides, back, front, and top. "Negative," he said with some relief. "Let's go."

Elena and he jumped into the speeder, and he started the engine.

"GET DOWN!" Elena shrieked suddenly, causing Jix to duck his head immediately.

Instantly a volley of blaster fire began to come at them, hitting the speeder and near to their heads. In the midst of the confusion, Jix somehow managed to grab the controls and zoom out of the lot, the assassin still shooting at them.

As she was down, Elena heard a strange and hostile voice in her head, goading her.

_So, the little girl couldn't stand a few shots,_ a cruel and unfamiliar voice chuckled evilly.

_Who are you?_ She demanded, anger getting a hold of her.

There was a pause. _You really don't know, do you? My poor little ignorant princess._ He laughed before ending the link.

Once they were in the air and safe, Elena sat up, panting and wide-eyed. "It was him," she said, "I know it was."

"Whoever he is, he sure his blunt with his methods," Jix added, angry at himself for not being more prepared.

Elena shot a glance at him. "Don't worry, we'll get him," she reassured her friend.

"I sure hope so," he muttered.

After a few minutes, Elena noticed a store that sold explosives, detonators, and other things of that sort. "Jix, pull over," she ordered, "I think we should prepare ourselves. This guy's Force sensitive."

Jix stared at her. "Oh, that makes everything so much easier," he retorted sarcastically, pulling into the lot.

Elena didn't reply but hopped out and darted into the store. Once inside, she looked around, observing the surroundings. It was dark, loud, and filled with people such as smugglers, mercenaries, and others of a less than savory nature.

"Well, who 'ave we got 'ere?" one alien jeered, leering at her.

She glared at him so furiously that he immediately shut his mouth, looking rather taken aback.

"None of your concern," she snapped, walking towards the counter. Jix appeared behind her.

He said to the dealer: "Hey look, we need a pack of detonators, the best you got, some thermal charges, and a few minis."

The dealer looked at both of them. "And for the lady?" he asked, staring at her curiously.

"Uh, I'm with him," she replied, nodding towards Jix.

The dealer frowned. "A young girl like yerself shouldn't be hanging around with people like him," he said, glancing at Jix with a look of disdain. "I'm sure you could do better."

Elena blushed. "Well," she stammered, "It's not like that. I'm not exactly… you see…"

"It's a long story," Jix interrupted. "So could you mind your own blasted business and get our order?" he glared at the man.

"Whatever you say," the dealer muttered, going behind a box of detonators.

Elena leaned against the counter as she and Jix waited for the man to be finished with her order.

"Nice blasters you got there, sister," a voice said on her other side.

She turned to see a fairly tall man with longer brown hair looking down at her. He was wearing a dark blue jacket, black vest, white shirt, dark blue pants, and boots. A blaster hung at his belt, and on his other side was a Wookiee.

"Hi, I'm Elena Skywalker," she said, sticking out her hand.

The man looked fairly amused while he shook it. "Han Solo of the _Millennium Falcon_," he replied in a friendly tone. "This here is Chewie, my co. pilot." He nodded to the Wookiee, who roared a greeting.

"Nice to meet you, too, Chewie," Elena grinned.

Han observed her. "So what's a girl like you doing in a place like this? Out to get someone?"

She nodded. "Yeah, there's this guy who's trying to kill me," she replied rather nonchalantly. "So we gotta stock ourselves up."

"Wrenga Jixton," Jix said, coming up beside her. "I'm an Imperial agent looking out for Elena."

Han looked confused for a moment. "Why?" he asked, bewildered. "Is she someone important or something? The daughter of a Moff?"

Chewie roared something, causing Elena to redden. She could understand Wookiee because she had taught herself the language when had been younger, in Xizor's palace. The fact that she also had a photographic memory helped too.

Han listened to Chewie, his jaw dropping as he whisked around back to face Elena and Jix. "You… you're… you're the kid of Darth Vader?" he managed to get out.

"One in the same," she muttered in return.

Han shook his head in disbelief. "Who are you running from, then?" he questioned.

"We actually have no clue," Jix answered, placing some credits on the counter. "That's why we're trying to figure it out."

"Well being Vader's daughter, you've probably got a lot of enemies," Han added reasonably.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Duh… but this guy is Force sensitive, so he's not just _any_ assassin trying to kill me. And he somehow knew that all my allies were away just this week, when he decided to strike."

Chewie whined, feeling sorry for her.

"Thanks," Elena replied, patting the Wookiee's arm. "I'm sure I'll be fine. You two take care of yourselves, okay?" she walked out of the store with Jix, a package of mini detonators under her arm.

Han watched her leave. "I never expected his kid to be or look like that," he told Chewie. "I wonder if we'll ever see her again."

Chewie barked a reply.

"And what on earth does 'Force sensitive' mean, anyways?" Han asked him, frowning in confusion.

* * *

AH HA! (Laughs hysterically) I SO GOT YOU! I PUT HAN AND CHEWIE IN HERE AS A BIG SURPRISE! Hope you liked it, cause I sure did! Maybe if you review, I'll put more surprises in! There is no Star Wars without Han. Hope you enjoyed that chapter! 


	5. Journeying to Corellia

WELL! I couldn't update because wouldn't let me sign in. I'm guessing it was the same with you guys, too? Anyways, I encourage you to go to my website and check out the new 'I Am Me' biographies, complete with new pics. I think you'll like it! And whoever signed my guestbook, took my poll, and did my votecaster, MANY THANKS! I have just redone the site a little bit, so feel free to visit. Just go to my profile and click on homepage. Ten reviews this time! Keep it up!

This interlude is almost over! And then, you know what comes after that...

RavenRulzRF: Am I going to have RTSL? Is the sky blue? OF COURSE! Since the majority of the reviewers loved it, I am putting it back in. Oh, but please try to make your dialogues shorter, because I want to fit everyone's in without making it too long. Thanks for reviewing!

Jinn Twins: Thank you! there's more surprises coming up shortly!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: Thanks for your review!

Pip B: You screamed? That's too funny! Good idea, Han's a bit younger. You'll have to wait to see who the assassin is!

JediMan: You werent' expecting that? Neither was anyone else! Look up one reply to Pip's, cause Pip screamed! I liked that part about the Force sensitive, too. Thanks for reviewing!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2: Yeah, this is gonna be different. You'll see how it all plays out. So your new connection is slower than your dial-up? How odd! Thanks for reviewing!

Writin' Dude: Hmm... you'll see! Mwa ha ha ha! This story's almost over. Thanks for reviewing!

KeiraAchiOkanabe: Yes, he was. Nice to have you back! Thanks for reviewing!

ILUVZIM: Sure, whatever color you want. Wait and see who the assassin is! Most of you probably won't recognize him.. but I got him off of Wookieepedia. Thanks for reviewing, and mtFbwy! He he he!

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: Yes, Deathstryke moment in there. Glad you recognized it! Speaking Wookiee IS cool.. thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Chapter 5 

Disclaimer: Me? Own this utter splendidity? Of course I own Elena! Everything else that doesn't really matter... belongs to Lucas. But who cares about that?

Elena and Jix headed back to the palace, talking about what their new plan was going to be about. They decided not to directly go after the assassin after careful consideration. Somehow, however, their conversation ended up turning to something entirely different….

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Jix randomly asked her as they walked through the halls.

Elena gaped at him. "Wha…?" She was speechless for a second.

Jix cast an annoyed look towards her. "I _said,_ do you have a boyfriend?"

Her mouth was still hanging open. "No!" she finally managed to get out. "I don't. Why in Hoth's name would you ask a question like that?"

"I don't know," he honestly answered, "It's just, you're beautiful, young, are the daughter of the second richest person in the entire _galaxy_, smart, witty, kind… I mean, what guy wouldn't want a girl like you?"

She eyed him. "Are you saying that you want me to be your girlfriend?" she asked him suspiciously.

Jix blushed. "Good Force, girl, that wasn't what I was saying at all," he chastised her. "I was simply wondering."

"Well I don't," Elena replied, somewhat amused.

"Hm," Jix snorted.

Elena sighed and rolled her eyes. "Jix, sometimes you're so _weird…_"

"I know, but you love me anyways," Jix answered, grinning cheezily at her.

"Whatever," she mumbled in reply.

They finally decided, after a while, instead of trying to find the assassin, that they would journey to a different planet and wait until Vader returned to Coruscant. In the meantime, they would hide out, hoping that the assassin wouldn't track them down.

"And now, which planet…." Jix mused, tapping his fingers on the table.

Elena thought for a minute. "How about Naboo?" she asked.

Jix frowned and shook his head. "Nope, too watery. I don't like water." At this Elena rolled her eyes again.

"Fine," she retorted, "Alderaan?"

"That's a possibility… I'll think about it."

"Saleucami?"

"Nah… that place gives me the creeps."

"Utapau?"

"No."

"Tatooine?"

"I hate that place. Don't like deserts." This earned a tired and annoyed sigh.

"Fine… Kamino?"

"Nope."

"Don't even think about Falleen…" she warned.

"Hoth?" Jix suggested.

Elena only glared at him. "Be serious," she snapped.

"I was… what about Corellia?"

She paused for a moment. "You're dismissing all the other planets just because you want to go there, aren't you?" she accused him.

"So what if I am? I can't help wanting to see my home planet," he admitted shamelessly.

"Is that what you really want to do?"

"Yep."

"Fine. To Corellia it is. You do realize, however, that when Dad hears about this…. You're dead?"

Jix grinned impishly. "Of course," he answered, "That's part of the fun. Go ahead and pack, but only pack light. This is no vacation."

"Did I ever say it was?" she muttered.

---

She and Jix left early the next morning in a fairly large ship. They had droids as the pilots, so they were free to do what they wanted, such as talk over their plans, double check their weapons… or just hang out.

"It's… not… fair…" Jix panted as they played a game of hoverball. "How did you get to be so fast!"

Elena smirked. "Either I am naturally born that way or I just run a lot," she answered.

"I'll take your word for it," he returned. "I need a sonic shower… see you later."

She nodded and went up to the cockpit, where she found the droids.

"We're approaching Corellia, Lady Skywalker," one of them told her.

"Good," she replied. "Thanks, I'll relay that message to Jix. Put us in for a smaller hangar, we don't want to attract too much attention."

She walked back to find Jix in his room, changing. "Jix…" she said loudly, "We're coming towards the planet, so get your butt out here."

On the other side of the door, she heard a smashing of something, an "OW!", some colorful language that she wouldn't like to repeat, and the heavy paces of feet coming towards her. The door opened, showing Jix, his hair askew, clothes wrinkled; and he was rubbing his head.

"Is… this a bad time?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He glared at her. "Yeah," he spat. "That stupid gun just fell on me!"

"Well whose fault is that, the gun's, or yours?" she asked sensibly, folding her arms over.

"Shut up," he grumbled, storming back into his room.

Elena merely smirked, flouncing back up to her quarters. It was rather funny to see him like that. She got what bags she had together and put them by the door. As she grabbed her backpack, a comic book fell out. She picked it up using the Force and stared at its cover. She then put it into her pack and went to the mirror, looking at herself carefully. Remembering the last time she had done that four years ago, the question came back to her all of a sudden.

_Who am I?_

She paused, lost in her thoughts. Her back shifted shapes quickly, and there morphed two great white and beautiful wings, each longer than the length of her entire body. She smiled dryly. _Angel?_ She asked herself. _Mutant? Sith apprentice?_ The last answer caused her to shudder as she didn't want to picture herself as that. Never.

The rapping at the door startled her out of her reverie, and she quickly shifted back to normal and opened the door. Jix was standing there.

"You coming or what?" he asked, somewhat composed by now.

She nodded, taking in a breath. "Yeah, be right there." Snatching her bags, she followed him out of the ship, which had docked, and into the Corellian spaceport. It was one of the smaller ones, but many people were still there.

"So…" Elena began, "Where exactly are we staying?"

Jix reddened immediately. "Uh, nowhere important," he said hurriedly, "Just at a regular hotel."

Elena narrowed her eyes, knowing that he was certainly hiding something from her. Frowning in concentration, she quickly read his mind, trying to figure out what was going on. Her eyes widened in shock.

"We're staying with _pirates_?" she squawked.

Jix turned to face her, startled. "How in Vader's name…" he began, but paled when he realized the truth. "Blast it, Skyler," he growled, "You know I hate it when you Force people read my mind!"

"It had to be done," she retorted stubbornly, glaring at him. "You weren't telling me the truth."

"And I intended to keep it that way," he muttered, scowling at her.

She whisked her head quickly to turn and glare at him angrily. Seeing her sparking gaze, he swallowed uncomfortably and muttered something incoherent.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," he grumbled, acting quite childish. Elena, frankly, was growing rather tired of his behavior and stopped walking.

"Now you listen, mister," she told him, getting in his face, "If you don't start acting your age, however old you are, I'm gonna slap you upside your head and make your life as miserable as it possibly can be. Got it?"

She turned and walked away, a smug grin on her face. Jix sighed and trekked after her, seemingly defeated.

"Glad you're starting to listen to me," Elena called out.

Jix jogged a bit to catch up to her. "Well hey, it's not like you're gonna Force choke me or anything, so I'm not too worried about what you're gonna do to me. Just don't end up like Uncle Dee and we're good."

Elena fought back a snort. _That's going to be harder than you think, Jix,_ she thought to herself. _The Dark Side is hard to resist._

--

A few hours later, the two of them pulled up to a long line of apartments in the heart of Corellia. Jix hopped out of the speeder and grabbed some of the bags. He went up to the door and pressed the doorbell.

Elena followed him slowly, glancing around her dubiously. She wasn't sure how safe the place was. _Blast, Jix, what on earth have you got me into this time?_

Jix waited anxiously as he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. It opened soon, revealing a young man with reddish brown hair, broad built, and sparkling green eyes. He looked very friendly.

His mouth hung open for a second before he compose himself. "Blast it all to Coruscant, it's Wrenga Jixton!" he shouted, slapping Jix on the back. "How've you been, man?"

"Never better, Dash," Jix answered cheerfully, "I just came by to say hello and see how you guys were doing. What's going on with you?"

Dash Rendar grinned broadly. "Nothing much, the usual," he replied. "Been traveling the galaxy… trying to avoid you-know-who and his agents as much as possible," he rolled his eyes.

Jix nodded seriously. "Yeah, and you aren't the only one who's got a problem with that reptile," he responded. "My friend's got a major grudge against Xizor. Lived with him for thirteen years, if you can believe it."

"Where is this exceedingly brave man?" Dash asked, "I want to meet him! Although I must say it's hard to believe anyone could live with Xizor for that long a time."

Jix shifted. "Ah, well, you see, it's not exactly like that…" he began uncertainly.

Dash stared at him. "What is it?"

"It's not a 'he'. It's a 'she'." Jix jerked his head towards Elena, who was getting most of the bags out of the speeder's trunk.

Dash stared at her. "Who in Vader's name is _that?_" he asked, staring at her unabashed.

"That's the girl I'm taking care of for a while, she's trying to be killed by some dangerous assassin," Jix replied in a low voice. "I think you might recognize her."

It was then that Elena came over to see who Jix was talking to. She studied Dash, interested. "Hi, I'm Elena," she said, holding out her hand.

Dash's jaw dropped. "In the name of Hoth…" he started in disbelief. "So you're Vader's daughter?"

She blushed. "Yeah…."

Jix gave Dash a warning look that clearly told him Elena was off limits.

"I'm Dash Rendar," Dash replied good naturedly, shaking her hand. "I'm glad to meet you, Elena. I've heard a lot about you from Jix… and the holo news."

"Thanks," she said, blushing further.

Suddenly Dash's face became strange as he stared at her as if trying to remember something. "Wait a minute…" he trailed off. "I know you. Hold it, do you know a guy called Han Solo?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, I met him a few nights ago. Why, do you know him?"

"Han? Yep, he and I have been good friends for some time now. I spoke to him earlier today, he told me that he met Lord Vader's kid," Dash said.

Elena narrowed her eyes. "I'm not a kid," she growled.

"OK, OK, don't get all angry at me, here," Dash chuckled, holding up his hands. "Come on, it looks like you guys are gonna be staying here for a while… am I right?"

Jix nodded as they entered the apartment. "Yeah, we got to keep a low profile," he answered, dropping a bag on the floor. "We don't know who the heck this assassin is and we sure don't want him to find us. He's extremely dangerous."

Dash frowned. "Sounds like fun," he said sarcastically. "Anyways.. there's not much here, a few bedrooms, kitchen, living room… make yourselves comfortable. You're lucky that I'm here, this is one of the rare times I'm actually home."

Elena went into a bedroom and unpacked what belongings she had with her. Deciding that she needed some alone time, she shut the door using the Force and sat down on the bed, looking out the window. All her thoughts were concentrated on the assassin. For some reason, it didn't seem like any normal assassination. The hunter was far too clever and devious for that. She felt like he was goading her, baiting her. Waiting for the right moment to strike. But what exactly was he waiting for? She hoped to death that he didn't know where she was. But even as Elena remembered him shooting at her, something felt odd in the pit of her stomach.

_It seemed like… well, none of his shots were directed exactly at my head… and his blaster was never set on the highest level… what on earth does he want?_ She was growing frustrated. _At first I thought he wants to kill me… because that's what it seemed like at first… but now I'm not sure. There's more to this than meets the eye._

Elena knew she would have to watch her back.

"Uh… Miss Vader?" Dash's voice called out from the other side of the door, "We're going out to get some chow. You want to come? I'm guessing you're kinda hungry."

She sighed, opened the door and smiled at him. "Sure, I'm starving," she admitted. "Oh, and you don't have to call me Miss Vader… I prefer Elena."

Dash gave her a surprised glance. "No offense, but with a father like yours, I expected you to be a lot more… I don't know…"

"Dangerous?" Elena broke in. "Evil? More Sith-like? About to strangle someone if they don't do whatever you say?"

Dash stared at her. "Uh… yeah."

She shrugged. "Well, no offense taken. But I'm not like my dad. Except for the fact that I'm a bit stubborn at some times."

"A bit?" Jix said dryly as they walked out towards the speeder. "Can I get back to you on that one?"

Elena glared at him. "Oh shut your trap," she snapped, jumping into the speeder.

"You see? You see what I have to deal with?" Jix complained to Dash as they drove away.

"Well, judging from what I've seen so far, you deserve it," the other Corellian replied, grinning at Elena.

She punched the air and let out a "YESS! Finally someone who sees it my way."

"Thanks for backing me up, friend," Jix glowered sarcastically.

"Anytime."

The three were then silent for the rest of the trip, each in their own little worlds: Jix, sullen; Elena, triumphant; and Dash… just along for the ride. They finally reached the restaurant, where they got out, entered inside, and ordered their food.

After a nice dinner, the three drove home and got out of the speeder. Jix was the first one to notice that the lights were on inside the apartment.

"Hey, Dash," he began, "Did you leave any lights on?"

Dash, who was talking with Elena, answered, "No, I made sure to turn them all off. Hey!" he cried, noticing the lights. "Someone's in–"

Elena's hand slapped up against his mouth. "Shhh," she hissed, "We don't want to alert whoever's in there of our presence. It's better to have the element of surprise. Jix, do you have your blaster?"

The Imperial agent nodded as they promptly hid themselves behind a building wall. "Yeah, what about you?" he whispered.

"I'm good. Dash?"

"I never leave home without it. So what's the plan, Jix?"

"… The plan… uh… Elena?"

"What?"

"The plan?"

"I thought YOU were the one who made up the plan!"

"No, I just tag along."

"But you got me into this whole mess in the first place!"

"Yeah, but you were the one who brought me to Coruscant to baby-sit you!"

"_Baby-sit_ me! I just needed backup!"

"Same blasted thing!"

"Is not! You take that back!"

"No way in Hoth! Now what's the plan, Skywalker?"

"… WRENGA. JIXTON. YOU. ARE. SO. _BLASTED_. DEAD!"

Dash rolled his eyes. "Will you two stop this stupid bickering and just _shut the heck up?_ You're acting like two year olds! We need a decent plan, and we need one now!"

Elena and Jix, who were glaring daggers at one another, glanced at him as he was staring at them.

"Fine, _I'll_ make a plan," Elena said, narrowing her eyes at Jix. "Since _someone _here is too _blasted lazy_."

"IN THE NAME OF–!" Dash began angrily.

Elena quickly cut in. "So, here's the plan. You go from back, try to cut him off, Jix and I will come in from the front. We surprise him so he can't escape… set your blasters to stun, though, okay? Now can you both handle that?"

The Corellians nodded stoutly.

"Fine. Let's move."

* * *

AH HA HA HA! Got you AGAIN! You guys should know Dash Rendar, right? Of course, since this is AU, he's gonna be pals with Jix. Hope you liked it! And this time, I gave it a bit of a cliffie. Nothing big, of course... don't forget to review!  



	6. The Final Confrontation

OH. MY. GOSH. This is SO awesome! 53 reviews for 5 chapters! THAT TOTALLY ROCKS! Do you know what this means? If you guys keep it up and review like this in the sequel, at chapter 10 I'll have around 100 reviews! TOO awesome! I'm so happy.

All right. Some of you don't know who Dash Rendar is. He's a character in Shadows of the Empire. For a full biography, go to: and type in the search Dash Rendar. There you go! There's a few pics of him, too.

RavenRulzRF: If you want a refresher, just read the little note above. Thanks for reviewing!

JediMan: That's ok. And, so sorry! Geenine will not be in this story, but she will be in the sequel, which will be up in about a week! Thanks for reviewing!

fanfictionfan: Does Jix have a little crush on Elena, you mean? Yes, he does. Nothing major. But since Elena's gonna get someone else, I have to find him a girl. Maybe you could think of one!

Adame shmi Skywalker Vader: Yeah, those are awesome. I read your story, and loved it! It was great. Thanks for reviewing!

Sci-Fi Sista: Hello again, haven't seen you in a while! Yes, Dash is going to be in the rest of the story. I love him, he's totally awesome. Thanks for reviewing!

Super Tinfoil Man Part 2:Yeah, Dash rocks. I was having trouble, too... stupid computers. Thanks!

Pip Baggins:You like the cliffhanger? Me too! If you want to know about Dash, just read the note at the top. There you go, and thanks!

Writin' Dude: The guestbook didn't work! Argggh... try doing again, maybe it'll work. I don't know, it seems like it's worked before... anyways, enjoy this chapter! It's the last one!

Jessica-Angel-Skywalker: You didn't? Neither did I! He he he! Thanks for reviewing!

ILUVZIM: Your comments never fail to crack me up. You are a very good guesser. The assassin doesn't know about her powers, but he is a total creep. The capturing part.. oh, you're getting warm! I'm sorry, I've never heard of Pink Five... but mtFbwy, too!

Diamond of the Moon: Thank you so much for reading my stories. The one where you didn't know if that was it, it was. It was a oneshot. This is the last chapter of this interlude, and then will come the MUCH longer sequel. Thank you so much for reviewing!

**The last chapter... darn it. Oh well, then it's ONTO THE SEQUEL! WOO HOO!**

**Palps: Drat! I hate Elena. She's a Mary-Sue!**

**Everyone: GASP! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY THAT? (Growls at him menacingly)**

**Eh-hem, Palpatine. Isn't there something better you could be doing... like cleaning the entire basement of the Reviewer Temple? **

**Palps: Darn.. just like Cinderella. **

**Wee-ell, not really. Cinderella's beautiful - you're not, Cinderella's sweet - you're not, Cinderella has a good singing voice - you don't, Cinderella isn't a Sith lord - you are, and Cinderella isn't evil and trying to control the galaxy - you are. Big differences. **

**Everyone: HOP TO IT! **

**You didn't think I'd give you a break, did you? Maul, Dooku, Xizor, Isolder - YOU TOO! **

**Sith and Princes: BLAST!

* * *

**EEE he he he! Bet NONE of you were expecting that little piece of goodness, were you? I had planned on doing that as a surprise. Just a little note for future reference, though - in the sequel, please try to make your demands shorter. I try to put all of them in, but I can't if they're really long. Okie-day? Thanks!

Disclaimer: Of course I own Elena, I just don't own Star Wars. But who cares about that?

**Chapter 6: The Final Confrontation **

Elena and Jix darted to the front door. They could hear some roaring and voices inside. Suddenly having a strange thought, Elena put her head up against the door and listened closely.

"Elena, what are you doing?" Jix hissed, looking at her in complete bewilderment.

She put a hand to her mouth, motioning for him to be quiet. At that moment, she heard a loud crash from inside; and a voice shouted, "OW! CHEWIE!"

"Han!" Elena gasped in astonishment, and shoved the door open. Sure enough, she and Jix found Han rubbing his head and shooting evil looks at Chewie, who had accidentally whacked him on the head with a hydrospanner. Han and Chewie were very surprised to see them there, and stared at them for a second.

"Wha…?" Han trailed off, his eyes widening.

Dash burst through the back door, holding his gun up. "PUT YOUR HANDSSSSolo!" he morphed his words into Han's name as his face lit up with relief. "What in Force's name are you doing in my apartment at this hour? I thought you were making a trip to Jabba!"

Han shrugged sheepishly. "Eh, I decided to make a pit stop and come over to your place for a few days." He then turned to Elena and Jix. "Well, your Highness, it looks like we meet again," he grinned, bowing.

Elena blushed. "I'm not a 'Your Highness,'" she muttered, kicking the floor with a foot.

"Oh, forgive me," Han apologized with false bravado, "Sorry for callin' you that, kid." He sat down with a small broken droid in his hands and began to work on it.

She glared at him. "Don't – call– me–kid!" she growled, stalking off to her room and slamming the door shut.

The three Corellians looked at each other and shrugged.

"Anyone want a whiskey?" Dash asked.

The two others nodded enthusiastically. "Make that two," Jix added, plopping down into a seat tiredly.

---

The next two days passed quickly for Elena and the three Corellians. They hung out, taught Elena how to play sabbac, and discussed Elena's dilemma. Han thought she should stay at Dash's until Vader got home, Dash thought that she should try to make herself open so they could catch the assassin, and Jix just wished the whole thing would end. Elena's thoughts were so muddled, she didn't even notice that someone was following her on her way back from the store.

It was a cloudy day, and her father would be home in two days. She was relieved. But the ordeal with the assassin was not yet over. She knew in her mind that he had not given up looking for her yet, but she just hoped that he hadn't discovered her whereabouts.

But sure enough, a man in dark cloak was following her, his face covered. She hadn't even realized it. It wasn't until one of the bags she was carrying started to fall out of her hands did she see a dark shadow fall on her and a pair of large black boots step in front of her vision. She slowly looked up to face an evil face, jet black hair that was spiked, dark brown eyes, and a curving, menacing grin plastered on his face.

"Hello there, Your Highness," he began smoothly, his voice echoing in her brain.

She stared at him, unsure of what to say. Why everyone had begun calling her 'Your Highness' was beyond her, though.

"I see that you are ignorant of whom I am," he continued. "I am quite surprised."

"Then why don't you just tell me and get it over with," Elena shot back angrily, narrowing her eyes.

He chuckled, trying to infuriate her. "Such a temper, Lady Skywalker," he said. "Of course, I expected as much. I am Sedriss, Executor of Emperor Palpatine." He bowed shortly, if not mockingly.

He was rather unprepared for her reaction, though.

"I _KNEW_ that old CORPSE was behind all of this!" she shouted furiously, leaping to her feet, blue eyes blazing in fury.

"Whoa, hang on, my lady," he said, a bit taken aback. "The Emperor had nothing to do with this. I did it all on my own."

She stared at him. "Why?"

After a slight pause, he slowly drew out the hilt of a lightsaber, hiding it under his cloak so that only she could see it. He then reached up to touch her face, causing her to flinch and abruptly pull back.

"I think you know why…" Sedriss trailed off, eyeing her with a look that made her skin crawl.

She gave him a disgusted look. "Go to Hoth," she snapped, and tried to stride past him.

He grabbed her arm and showed her the lightsaber again. "Ah, ah, ah," he tsked, "I would hate for you to lose a pretty arm or see your soft skin get burned by this lightsaber."

Elena looked at it and back to him.

"Let's go," he ordered harshly. "I think your Corellian agent will be pleased to see you."

She blanched. "What have you done to him?" she asked in a quietly dangerous tone.

"Oh, nothing much," Sedriss smirked, "Just made sure that he was safely caught until your return. Now come." He yanked her along, leaving her no choice but to follow him.

They strode along the side streets briskly until they came to a shadowed apartment. It appeared as if it had been abandoned long before, but Sedriss pulled her inside quickly. There she saw Jix bound to a wall by restraints. He looked fine, but his eyes were blazing as she had never seen before.

"Blast you, Executor, let her go," he hissed furiously, yanking at his bonds.

Sedriss only grinned. "And why on earth would I do that?" he questioned. "Elena is going to stay with me whether you like it or not. I assure you of that."

"I won't do it," Elena replied firmly. "I won't stay with you."

Sedriss turned to look at her. "Oh I think you will," he said, eyes turning yellow as he ignited his red lightsaber and strode forth to Jix. He pointed it at his chest, coming dangerously close.

"Now, I will kill him if you don't promise to stay with me," he said simply.

Elena cast Jix a glance and looked back at Sedriss. "What?" was all she could muster.

Sedriss gave her an annoyed look and drew out a gun, this time pointing it at her. "If you don't do as I say, Skywalker, then I will kill both of you. That was my original intent."

"Then why didn't you?" Elena shot back.

"Because you won me over," he answered. "I had always heard of the famous Elena Skywalker, daughter of Lord Vader, and was astonished that such a droidish and dark looking person as Vader could produce such a beautiful and alluring daughter."

"Oh shut up," she snapped, growing angrier by the second. "I don't want to hear of your sick infatuation of me… you'd kill me just as keep me. Just tell me what you want me to do."

While Elena was saying this, she was slowly using the Force to undo Jix's bonds. _Jix, when I give the word, I want you to pull off your bonds and run,_ she told him mentally.

Jix gave her a bewildered look.

"Ah, I see," Sedriss chuckled, "that you have just as bad a temper as your father. Very well then." He began circling her, moving away from Jix.

Elena deftly moved towards him, trying not to appear suspicious. She continued to slowly undo his bonds.

As Sedriss named his terms, she moved closer and closer, but pretended to agree to what he was saying. She thought it was going well, but when she was right in front of Jix, Sedriss suddenly ceased talking and raised the blaster again.

"You move one more step and I kill you," he said coldly.

She raised her hands in pretended compliance but shouted, "NOW!"

Jix ripped off the bonds, leapt to the ground, and darted out the door. Sedriss bellowed as he saw him running and raised the gun.

The next few seconds were extremely muddled for Jix. The next thing he knew, the gun was fired at him – and Elena leapt in front of his body, taking the shot full force. She fell to the ground, and Jix picked her up and ran out of the apartment, Sedriss following them, still firing. Luckily the Executor had kept his speeder in the open, so Jix basically threw Elena in and leapt inside himself, gunning the engine. Before Sedriss could catch up, he was away.

Elena, who had quickly healed herself from the blaster wound, sat up and saw Sedriss still firing at them. She pulled out a machine blaster gun from a nearby compartment, aimed, and fired.

Sedriss took out his lightsaber and deflected the bolts, but by now the speeder had moved too far away for her to get a closer shot.

"Skyler!" Jix cried, "Are you okay? I saw him hit you right in the chest, so I thought that–"

"I'm fine," she quickly replied, "Listen, this has gone too far. This guy's an obsessive creep. We've tried everything, and now there's only one decision."

Jix glanced at her. "Which is…?"

"We go to the apartment. Quick as lightning pack our things. And get the heck out of here and find the _Executor_, where I'm gonna tell Dad the entire situation."

He nodded in consent. "Sounds fine to me," he replied. "Oh, I feel like such an idiot. I wasn't on the lookout for any danger, so he knocked me out while I was on my way home from a weapons store. Sorry that he got you."

"Hey, I told you I'm okay," Elena answered, putting a hand on his arm. "I used the Force to deflect the shot before he hit me." Of course that wasn't true, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

Jix eyed her. "Fine then."

---

The ship sped towards the large star destroyer, another ship on its tail. Jix and Elena were trying to get to the _Executor_, and Sedriss was hot on their tail. It appeared he wasn't going to give up.

"NO, listen," Jix was saying over the intercom, "My name's Wrenga Jixton, and I have with me Elena Skywalker. She's LORD VADER'S daughter! I don't have a clearance code because we took a privately owned vessel, but would you just let us in!" He was getting very annoyed.

There was a pause, and a stream of torpedoes came out at them from Sedriss's ship, causing some more damage.

"Very well," the other person said, "Docking bay 45 will be open. But who is that ship on your tail?"

"He's an Executor who's trying to kill us," Elena cut in, "So would you shut your mouth and open the hangar shields!"

The line was cut as the other person ended the link. Elena and Jix glanced at each other with a look that said: We really don't need this right now.

Jix steered the ship, putting on a burst of speed, right into the hangar, and they went sliding along the floor of the bay, knocking over some equipment. Sedriss's ship came in right after them, just as the shields were coming back up. Elena and Jix shut the ship off, ran down the hatch and into a turbo lift, Sedriss hot on their tails.

They ran through the halls, pushing past officers, droids, and stormtroopers, who wondered what in the heck was going on. They finally made their way up to the bridge level, where Elena ran as fast as she could towards the bridge, where she knew her father would be.

Suddenly blaster fire began to come at them, and they had to zigzag to keep from being hit by Sedriss. Elena thought she was going to make it, but suddenly she felt a strong hand yank her arm and pull her back. A red lightsaber flashed in front of her face, telling her that if she tried to pull away, she would be killed.

"Don't you think that you're getting away with me, Skywalker," Sedriss panted, glaring at her.

"Oh, I don't think it," Elena retorted, "I KNOW it!" With that, she kicked the lightsaber out of his hand and Force pushed him into a wall. She then darted onto the bridge, where she saw her father standing in his usual spot, looking out at the stars.

Putting on an extra burst of speed, past officers and stormtroopers, she ran towards the middle of the bridge, passing a startled Captain Piett and Admiral Ozzel.

"Elena!.." Captain Piett said, shocked. "What are…." He stared at her as she flew past him and then Sedriss, who had knocked Jix down and was chasing after her, an evil, twisted look on his face.

"Dad!" Elena cried, streaking up to him.

Vader turned around as she came towards him, surprised beyond belief. "Elena! What in Force's name are you doing here?"

Elena ran full force at him, skidding to a stop next to him, panting for breath. "It's him!" she gasped, staring wide-eyed at Sedriss, who had halted in front of them. "He's been trying to kill me for a week! He's an obsessive murderer!"

Sedriss glared at both of them. "She belongs to _me_, Vader," he hissed, drawing his lightsaber out. "Elena is MINE!"

Vader hadn't felt this furious since he didn't know how long. His large droid hands curled into fists, and everyone on the bridge knew right then and there that Darth Vader was _not_ pleased.

"You will stay away from my daughter, Executor," he boomed, voice growing fiercer by the second, "Or you will feel pain as you have never felt it before!" With that, he raised his hand and Force pushed him to the ground. He then ignited his lightsaber and strode towards him slowly, breathing loudly.

When he was right over Sedriss, he lowered the lightsaber to his neck. "You are fortunate that you are a servant of the Emperor," Vader continued, "Because if you were not, I would give you a more painful death!" He then swiped off Sedriss's head.

Elena stared at him, sort of shell shocked. She was still trying to comprehend the situation.

Piett was certain that he had never seen Vader angrier than when he was right now. The Sith deactivated his lightsaber and turned around back to Elena, who was staring at the body. "Elena, are you all right?" he asked, coming towards her.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yeah… I'm fine…" she said in a nervous voice. "Just a little shaken up."

"I want you to tell me everything that has been going on," Vader ordered, putting a hand on her arm. "But why didn't you contact me?"

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Because… your comlink is turned off."

Vader looked down at his comlink, and sure enough, it was. _Blast,_ he thought to himself, feeling a bit sheepish.

"Elena! Elena!" Jix yelled, running onto the bridge. He then halted and stared at the body of Sedriss. "Good riddance," he said haughtily, and turned to Elena. "You all right?"

She nodded. "I'm okay Jix, but what about you?"

He shrugged and answered, "I'll be fine. Just a little bruise on the back where I crashed into the wall." Jix winced and rubbed his back. Suddenly he turned to Vader and said, "I owe Elena my life. She took a shot full force when it was really going for me. Thank you, Elena." He held out his hand and she shook it, giving a faint smile.

"Anytime," she replied. "It was the least I could do… even after you dragged me to Corellia." She narrowed her eyes, but there was a mischievous sparkle in them.

Vader turned to Jix, who was reddening. "What?" he demanded.

"Erm… thanks for telling him," Jix shot out, glaring daggers at Elena. She only smiled innocently.

"You allowed _my_ daughter to be subjected to smugglers, pirates, and ruffians!" Vader bellowed. "She could have gotten killed!"

"Dad," Elena interrupted calmly, "No one on Corellia hurt me, unless you count Sedriss. They were all very nice."

Vader stared at her for a second. "How is it that you get into these kinds of situations?" he asked finally, taking a moment to calm himself down a bit.

She grinned, a familiar grin that reminded Vader of his younger self. "Dad, I'm a Skywalker. It's genetic. We always get ourselves into trouble."

"You got that right," Jix muttered.

* * *

I love the ending to this! For all of you who don't know who Sedriss is, look him up on Wookieepedia. He's there, believe me. But I made him die in here, so it's different. Oh well. Now it's onto the sequel! 

**Palps: Blast. You mean we have to stand through a whole other story with ELENA? I can't take it. **

**You'll have to. I'm going to make you read it fifty-thousand times. **

**Palps: NOOOOOO! **

**If it'll make you feel any better, I'll just say that it's your destiny. How's that? (Palps just sobs louder) Oh well. His problem. Don't forget to review! **


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